Prashant’s class, on the Will

Prashant, on cultivating will, what is the will?
This summary is my rudimentary version of a fabulous class taught by Guruji’s son, Prashant. He has been teaching here in Pune at the Institute for over 30 years. He addresses very deep and complex issues that cover the interrelatedness of the body, breath and mind in every class. I will post more summaries to introduce you to some material that I hope to work with myself, and hence you as well, in the future. The italics are my comments. Enjoy!

How do we practice? We practice for technics, not technology. We practice for muscles, bones, strength, stretch, not to see how it affects the will, volition, resoluteness. We all have a restless mind, a hypo or hyper active mind, not a mature mind. Can you use muscles, bones, stretch to strengthen your will? What is the will? It is a role of the mind; the mind can take on the role of anything, but watch if the will is working, if everything contributes to the will. It is a part of intelligence, to cultivate the witnesses – the body has its will, the mind has its will, it is not a dead mechanical shape doing, it discerns.

Perspective
Depending on your perspective, you will see and perceive and utilize differently. Take a rose, the lover will see one things the botanist another, the florist will thank which rose will customers buy, which will sell better, what is the wholesale price. The biologist; what is the chemistry to create perfume, the distillation process.

My interpretation: When I understand that we each have our own perspective, as I interact with others, I can inquire, find out what lens they view from, rather than compare or judge. Let each have their view of the elephant, and let me clarify my lens; what perspective am I seeing/perceiving from now? The teacher, the apprentice, the student? I can then appreciate the reality and perceive, discern, and use this to strengthen the will and tame the restless mind. Am I practicing today to release tension in my shoulders or to open my lungs? Am I practicing today to quiet my mind or to deepen my forward extension. One will affect the other, but which lens I am using, which intention will direct my practice.

Practice Utthitia trikonasana for the legs
Practice Utthitia trikonasana as if you are hooked up to a biofeedback machine, how would you practice? To keep the muscles quiet?
Practice Utthitia trikonasana for the for the chest from the inside space
Practice Utthitia trikonasana for the organs.
You can also do systemically, the breath for the tailbone, breath for the tailbone and chest and eyes.. imagine if you are practicing with dentures, there will be no tension in the teeth. What would happen to the brain?